Alabama has an environmentally friendly year

It's been a very green year in a state that historically hasn't been a leader in environmental reform, according to a report by an environmental advocacy group.

The Green Gauge report, the first of its kind from the Green Resource Center for Alabama, found about two dozen instances of significant progress in advancing environmental causes in the state in 2008.

Among the biggest accomplishments: The state enacted tougher standards for more than 50 cancer-causing pollutants and protected thousands of acres of significant wildlands from development.

"There's no question it's been a banner year," said Scott Walton, president of the nonprofit organization.

Perhaps the single greatest accomplishment of the year has been raising awareness about what it means to be green, he said.

"We've seen an increase in the number of people asking questions - and that's everybody from policymakers to elementary school students," he said.

More Alabamians than ever before are considering the consequences of their lifestyles, and thinking about things such as whether to choose bottled water or tap water, he said.

Pat Byington, senior associate with the Wilderness Society and a longtime environmental activist in the state, said the key to continuing such progress will be finding a way to carry the momentum into the coming year.

"This is just a small sample of the many great things that individuals and groups are doing all over Alabama," he said in a prepared statement.

Among the accomplishments cited in the report, which is scheduled to be released today:

The Alabama Environmental Management Commission, which oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, voted 3-1 to establish tougher standards for more than 50 carcinogenic pollutants. The new standard changes the risk level used to calculate human health impacts from one cancer per 100,000 residents to one cancer per 1 million residents. The new rule brings Alabama in line with neighboring states.

State lawmakers approved a $1-per-ton fee on waste disposed in landfills. The fee is expected to raise at least $7 million a year to fund the cleanup of illegal dumps and expand recycling.

The state Forever Wild program and several other advocacy groups bought about 6,000 acres of important habitat lands, including more than 1,500 acres adjoining the Skyline Wildlife Management Area in Jackson County and more than three miles of frontage along Hurricane Creek and Paint Rock River.

Scientists identified a new species of wild azalea (Rhododendron colemanii) growing in the Red Hills area of South Alabama.

Huntsville ranked No. 18 in a Popular Science listing of the greenest cities in the United States.

The Tennessee Valley Authority and Alabama Power Co. took steps to expand the use of renewable energy. TVA requested proposals that could lead to 2,000 megawatts of power from renewable sources in about two years. Alabama Power lowered the price for blocks of renewable energy.

The Three Parks Initiative, which raised $15 million toward the creation of Red Mountain Park and Railroad Reservation Park in Birmingham, marked its culmination. Work on the railroad park began. On the Net